Pleomorphic Liposarcoma of the Intrathoracic Cavity in a Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)

• DOI: 10.1292/jvms.71.685
• Publication Date: 2009-06-04T06:03:57Z
• Authors: Naoyuki AIHARA; Yumi UNE
• Keywords: 0403 veterinary science; Fatal Outcome; Herpestidae; Animals; Animals, Zoo; Female; Liposarcoma; 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences; Thoracic Neoplasms; Immunohistochemistry

Postmortem examination of a meerkat which had been captive for eight years in zoo, revealed multinodular white masses filling the thoracic cavity with systemic metastasis. Microscopically, the neoplastic cells were polygonal to spindle-shaped and had eosinophilic cytoplasm often with variable numbers of small lipid droplets. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were intensely positive for vimentin and occasionally weakly positive for S-100. Ultrastructurally, several lipid droplets without limiting membranes were observed in the cytoplasm. Based on the findings above, the tumor was diagnosed as a pleomorphic liposarcoma arising from the thoracic cavity. To date, neoplasms have seldom been reported in Herpestidae animals. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of liposarcoma in a meerkat.